Program controller using a punched card disc and an electromagnetic clutch



Dec. 21, 1965 G. LEUENBERGER 3,225,152

PROGRAM CONTROLLER USING A PUNCHED CARD DISC AND AN ELECTROMAGNETICCLUTCH Filed June 25, 1965 INVENTOR ATTORNEY' United States Patent3,225,152 PROGRAM CONTROLLER USING A PUNCHED CARD DISC AND ANELECTROMAGNETIC CLUTCH Gottfried Leuenberger, Schlieren, Zurich,Switzerland, assignor to Maschinenfabrik Ad. Schulthess & Co. AG,Zurich, Switzerland, :1 firm Filed June 25, 1963, Ser. No. 290,494 2Claims. (Cl. 20046) This invention relates to a program controller usinga punched card disc and an electromagnetic clutch.

Such program controllers are already known. They render possible therepetition of any desired operating program phase. However, in knownapparatus adequate provision has not been made for preventing the handoperated turning of the punched card disc during rotation of the drivemotor.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a programcontroller which allows the hand operated turning of the punched carddisc only upon interruption of the main circuit, i.e. during stoppage ofthe drive motor.

One form of the invention is shown, by way of example, in the drawing,in which- FIG. 1 is a side view of the controller, partially in section,

FIG. 2 shows a top plan view of the unit illustrated in FIG. 1,partially in section on the line II-II of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 shows a partial cross-section on the line IIIIII of FIG. 2.

A punch card disc 1 is provided with a rim gearing 2 and is rotatablymounted by means of an axle pin 3 in a flat casing 4 of which 4a is thetop and 4b the bottom plate. The setting of disc 1 with respect to aprogram card provided on casing 4, may be read from a disc 6 that isfixed to axle pin 3 and is provided with a mark 5. The various holes andslots 7 coact with engaging and disengaging balls 8 which are guided inholes 9 (FIG. 3) of the casing bottom plate 4b.

The balls 8 may enter into a bulge 10 of easing cover plate 4a when theydrop into the openings 7 of disc 1, while at the end of a slot 7 theyengage and depress through disc 1 the associated switch button 11 of therespective single switch of a package switch 12. The single switches ofthe package switches 12 through cables are connected to the differentelectric switching elements, drive motors, valves and relays of thewashing machine and are controlled, on rotation of disc 1 in accordancewith an operating program as determined by the location and arrangementof the slots and holes.

Disc 1 is rotated by a motor 13 through a gearing unit 14. The gearingshaft 15 carries a stationary coupling disc 16 provided with fineserrations to which is engageable a shiftable coupling disc 17 of acoupling shaft 18, which latter disc is provided with fine counterserrations. Coupling shaft 18 is mounted in the bracket 13a of motor 13and carries a cross-pin 19 that traverses a slot 20 of the hub of theshiftable coupling disc 17 to render possible a limited longitudinalmovement of disc 17 on shaft 18. The bracket 13a includes a pair ofparallel first and second flanges 13b, 130, respectively, interconnectedby a web 13d. As is best illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings, thecasing 4 is mounted on the outside of the first flange 13b, and thedrive motor 13 is mounted on the outside of the second flange 130.

A compression spring 21 mounted on the hub of disc 17 is supported onone hand on disc 17 and, on the other hand, on a coupling lever 22.Spring 21 tends to push disc 17 within certain limits against disc 16and to hold it in the engaged state While a tension spring 26 tends todisengage the coupling discs 16, 17. Coupling lever 22 at one end and at23 is pivoted to bracket 13a of motor 13, and its other end engages the:armature of an electromagnet 25 by a fork joint 24. A tension spring 26which engages that arm of lever 22 that is opposite fork joint 24, tendsto swing lever 22 into its disengaged position.

Punched card disc 1 is driven through a pinion 27 that meshes with therim gear 2 thereof and is fixed to coupling shaft 18. A selector knob 28fixed to the upper end of coupling shaft 18 permits, when coupling 16and 17 is disengaged, to adjust disc 1 as desired, the impending phasesof successive operations being readable on the program card from thecorot-ating mark 5 of disk 6.

Upon interruption of the main circuit at the end of the operatingprogram or upon arbitrary actuation of the main switch, punched carddisc 1 by means of knob 28 may be turned or set in either sense ofrotation, so that disc 1 may be set for repetition of any desiredoperating program phase. When electro-coupling 16, 17 is closed throughswitching-on the main circuit, punched card disc 1 is rotated by motor13 so that the disc cannot be turned any longer as desired by means ofknob 28.

The program controller disclosed above is particularly suitable forissuing control commands to automatic washing machines, however is ofcourse also applicable to other power engines and servo-mechanisms.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to a nowpreferred example and embodiment of the invention it will be understoodby those skilled in the art after understanding the invention, thatvarious changes and modifications may be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention and it is intended, therefore, tocover all such changes and modifications in the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A program controller using a punched card disc and an electromagneticclutch, comprising in combination: a bracket consisting of a firstflangeand a second flange, said flanges being arranged parallel witheach other and interconnected by at least one web, a flat casing mountedon the outside of the first flange, a drive motor mounted on the outsideof the second flange and comprising a gearing shaft traversing saidsecond flange, a coupling shaft carried by the flat casing andtraversing the first flange, a selector knob fixed to the outer end ofthe coupling shaft, a pinion fixed to said coupling shaft and meshingwith a rim gear of the punched card disc rotatably mounted in said flatcasing, a stationary coupling disc rigidly mounted on the gearing shaft,a shiftable coupling disc mounted on the coupling shaft, a couplinglever at one end pivoted to said web of the bracket and at the other endengaging the armature of an electromagnet connected in series with. thedrive motor, said coupling lever being adapted to engage said shiftablecoupling disc to said stationary coupling disc against spring actionupon excitation of said electromagnet.

2. A program controller as in claim 1, wherein the coupling shaftcarries a cross-pin traversing an axial slot in the hub of the shiftablecoupling disc, and a compression spring arranged between the hub and thecoupling lever.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1914 Henschel200-46 X 8/1932 Goebel 200-38 X

1. A PROGRAM CONTROLLER USING A PUNCHED CARD DISC AND AN ELECTROMAGNETICCLUTCH, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A BRACKET CONSISTING OF A FIRSTFLANGE AND A SECOND FLANGE, SAID FLANGE BEING ARRANGED PARALLEL WITHEACH OTHER AND INTERCONNECTED BY AT LEAST ONE WEB, A FLAT CASING MOUNTEDON THE OUTSIDE OF THE FIRST FLANGE, A DRIVE MOTOR MOUNTED ON THE OUTSIDEOF THE SECOND FLANGE AND COMPRISING A GEARING SHAFT TRAVERSING SAIDSECOND FLANGE, A COUPLING SHAFT CARRIED BY THE FLAT CASING ANDTRAVERSING THE FIRST FLANGE, A SELECTOR KNOB FIXED TO THE OUTER END OFTHE COUPLING SHAFT, A PINION FIXED TO SAID COUPLING SHAFT AND MESHINGWITH A RIM GEAR OF THE PUNCHED CARD DISC ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID FLATCASING, A STATIONARY COUPLING DISC RIGIDLY MOUNTED ON THE GEARING SHAFT,A SHIFTABLE COUPLING DISC MOUNTED ON THE COUPLING SHAFT, A COUPLINGLEVER AT ONE END PIVOTED TO SAID WEB OF THE BRACKET AND AT THE OTHER ENDENGAGING THE ARMATURE OF AN ELECTROMAGNET CONNECTED IN SERIES WITH THEDRIVE MOTOR, SAID COUPLING LEVER BEING ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID SHIFTABLECOUPLING DISC TO SAID STATIONARY COUPLING DISC AGAINST SPRING ACTIONUPON EXCITATION OF SAID ELECTROMAGNET.